Regional Executive Director – West

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 220,000 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Ionis Benefits

Job summary

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. seeks a Regional Executive Director to lead a high-performing regional team and drive the market launch of a novel RNA-targeted therapy for sHTG.

You will set regional strategy, coach District Sales Managers and CAS teams, and partner with cross-functional colleagues to meet patient and payer needs while ensuring compliant execution. The role requires a seasoned leader with 15+ years in commercial life sciences, strong business acumen, and a track record of managing

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or related field is required.
• MBA or related graduate degree is preferred.
• Experience leading cross-functional commercial teams in pharma/biotech.

Responsibilities

• Lead a regional team of District Sales Managers and CAS to launch and grow a first wholly owned Ionis product.
• Set strategic vision for the region aligned to brand strategy and coach teams for high performance.
• Build and maintain relationships with key accounts in cardiometabolic and lipid-related diseases.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Commercial acumen

People management

Talent development

Education

Bachelor’s Degree; BS/BA in Life Science, Biology (or similar)

MBA preferred

Job description

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland, Ionis has been at work for more than three decades discovering medical breakthroughs that have redefined life for people with serious diseases. We’re pioneers in RNA-targeted medicines, and our platform continues to revolutionize drug discovery and transform lives for patients with unmet needs. With multiple marketed medicines and a leading pipeline in neurology, cardiology and select areas of high patient needs, we continue to drive innovation in RNA therapies in addition to advancing new approaches in gene editing to provide greater value to patients and are well positioned financially to deliver on our strategic goals.

At Ionis, we pride ourselves on cultivating a challenging, motivating and rewarding environment that fosters innovation and scientific excellence. We know that our success is a direct result of the exceptional talents and dedication of our employees.

With an unprecedented opportunity to change the course of human health, we look to add diverse individuals, skill sets and perspectives to our exceptional team. We continue to invest time, money and energy into making our onsite, hybrid and remote work environments a place where solid and lasting relationships are built and where our culture and employees can thrive.

We’re building on our rich history, and we believe our greatest achievements are ahead of us. If you’re passionate about the opportunity to have a meaningful impact on patients in need, we invite you to apply and join us. Experience and contribute to our unique culture while you develop and expand your career!

POSITION:

The Regional Executive Director is a field-based executive leadership role responsible for building and leading a high performing regional team of District Sales Managers who lead Clinical Account Specialists (CAS) supporting the launch and ongoing growth of Ionis’s first wholly owned commercial product, as its indication expands beyond Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS) to severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG). This role reports to the U.S. Head of Sales. The Regional Executive Director will be responsible for achieving/exceeding key strategic objectives by setting the strategic vision for the region aligned to brand strategy and effectively coaching, motivating, hiring and retaining talent with a high level of accountability for delivering results. The successful candidate will partner with their senior cross-functional teammates to understand and address the unique needs of their customers, ensuring the customer and patient experience is held to the highest standards in a compliant manner.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Regional Executive Director will possess a deep understanding of the healthcare landscape and the patients, providers, and care networks involved in treating cardiometabolic and lipid-related diseases in their respective region. This will include an understanding of the needs of each customer in their pursuit of improved patient outcomes by advocating for patients suffering from sHTG. The Regional Executive Director will achieve this by building, maintaining and leveraging networks and relationships in the local healthcare system and leading teams to develop and execute effective plans to meet customer and Ionis goals. The Regional Executive Director will serve as a leader: build, lead, coach, motivate, and inspire a diverse team of people with deep functional and therapeutic area expertise engaging effectively and compliantly across the therapeutic field teams to bring a novel treatment to sHTG patients.

Strategy and Innovation

• Executes the brand strategic plans by developing and executing customer focused regional strategic account plans to maximize business opportunities and customer satisfaction
• Builds insight-driven focused tactics by understanding brand requirements & anticipating the current and future needs of our key customers including hospital and office-based Endocrinologists, Cardiologists and other sub-specialties
• Provides oversight on short-term and long-term plans for key accounts and oversees relationships with customers, owning key relations where necessary
• Adjusts strategies to meet business goals in assigned region through targeted field strategy development
• Fosters innovation, best practice sharing, and breakthrough thinking throughout the commercial organization to exceed business goals
• Contributes to recommendations for strategic changes to field force structures, incentive plans, sales process, and customer approach and capabilities
• Sets team values and the appropriate cultural tone to maximize Ionis’s core behaviors (especially regarding compliance) and best practice collaboration
• Inspires and motivates the region field teams (including developing impactful reward and recognition programs)
• Leads regular and effective check-ins that encompass coaching, recognition, and creation of development plans with the team.
• Supports regional talent attraction and retention, in-role career development, fostering trust and ensuring individuals feel valued, included, and empowered to succeed
• Invests in own development by raising the bar individually and for their role overall
• Aligns the region with the company's mission and vision, policies and procedures, including the Ionis Code of Ethics and Business Conduct

Performance Management

• Identifies start-up and on-going training initiatives in conjunction with the Learning and Development department to define training plans
• Oversees performance plans by leveraging Account Management Plans, KPIs, Customer insights, and implementing customer focused tactical execution of brand strategies
• Conducts formal and informal performance reviews and coaching for District Managers and ensures individual development plans are executed
• Oversees team’s successful achievement of MBOs (e.g., customer engagement and experience, account planning, teamwork, training, and market knowledge) ensuring fair and objective evaluations
• Accountable for consistently meeting or exceeding quarterly regional key strategic objectives while always operating with integrity and in compliance with Ionis Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and compliance policies
• Coaches, holds self and team members accountable to standards and actively manages poor performance
• Ensures team’s adherence to corporate and compliance policies, procedures, and guidelines

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Ensures all divisions are aligned with product messaging, brand strategy, and approved ways of working to meet and exceed business goals
• Facilitates and encourages collaboration with key internal stakeholders (e.g., marketing, compliance, market access, patient services, etc.) to enhance organizational efficiency and maximize goal attainment
• Proactively shares customer and operational insights across the entire organization and leverages collective expertise to drive market success for products
• Builds and fosters an environment of trust, belonging, teamwork and collaboration across teams
• Ensures all internal and external activities are consistent with all compliance regulations and corporate values
• Actively evolves with the marketplace and shapes the commercial organization in alignment with customer and patient needs
• Pioneers an external collaborative approach with customers to appropriately develop advocates for TRYNGOLZA (Olezarsen) by actively owning accountability of key accounts strategic to overall business outcomes

Resource Management

• Attracts and retains appropriate high-level talent capable of exceeding brand goals
• Plans and monitors approved region budgets to ensure appropriate allocation of resources to meet the plan and financial control
• Advises on talent acquisition, onboarding and training, and career development initiatives for new hires
• Leads and holds team accountable for delivering an integrated customer experience, incorporating data insights to uncover opportunities to evolve that experience while using all available resources effectively and within budget

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Valid U.S. driver's license and driving record in compliance with company standards
• Bachelor’s Degree; BS/BA in Life Science, Biology (or similar scientific), or business-related field
• MBA or other related graduate degree preferred
• Total 15+ years of cross-functional industry experience in commercial life sciences (pharma or biotechnology)
• Strong business acumen and commercial insight developed through a combination of industry experience and success developing and implementing strategic plans across complex healthcare environments such as managed care, contracting strategy, IDN networks, and Centers of Excellence
• Ability to lead complex cross-functional account teams and operate under ambiguity while consistently aligning teams to brand strategy
• Proven track record for consistently meeting or exceeding financial and other quantitative and qualitative targets
• Track record of successful partnerships with customers and organizations (both externally and with peers and broader internal organization)
• Experience leading and mentoring front line managers preferred
• Solid understanding and adherence to external laws, codes, and company policies that apply to the healthcare industry.
• Experience in building, leading, managing, and developing multi-functional teams
• Extensive comprehension of the healthcare system including market access landscape and payer reimbursement policies

Ionis offers an excellent benefits package! Follow this link for more details: Ionis Benefits

The pay scale for this position is $220,000 – $265,000

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and all its subsidiaries are proud to be EEO employers.